A grateful mother is planning a charity fete to thank the hospital which saved the life of her daughter when she was just a few weeks old.

Amanda Smith’s second child, Piper, was born last summer with some of her organs outside her tiny body.

After five weeks of treatment at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London, she was allowed home to Hillington Square in Lynn.

Aged eight weeks, Piper developed a twist in her bowel and had to be rushed to back to Great Ormond Street for an operation followed by five days under sedation in intensive care,

Mrs Smith, 29, said: “After they brought her round, she was fine and she has been perfect ever since. She is a little fighter.”

Conscious of how close she came to losing Piper, Mrs Smith is organising a fete in aid of Great Ormond Street Hospital at Whitefriars Primary School in Lynn on Saturday, April 6.

Her husband, Wayne, is supporting the fundraising by taking part in a sponsored leg waxing.

The couple’s older daughter, Leona, eight, is a pupil at Whitefriars school and her fellow pupils are taking part in a non-uniform day on Friday, March 22, to help the appeal.

Mrs Smith first discovered there was a problem with her pregnancy when she went to Queen Elizabeth Hospital for a scan at 11 weeks.

A lump was noticed on the baby’s tummy and Mrs Smith was referred to Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital.

Part of Piper’s liver and intestines were found to be outside her body and later it was discovered that her bladder was also outside her body.

Further investigation showed the baby had spina bifida.

Mrs Smith had been due to go to University College Hospital in London at 38 weeks for her baby to be induced but went into labour at 35 weeks. She said: “ Piper decided to come early. She couldn’t wait any longer.”

In an ambulance with blue lights flashing, she was rushed to UCH, where Piper was born on June 27. That evening, she was transferred to Great Ormond Street where at only a day old she was fitted with a colostomy bag. At the age of five weeks, she was allowed home but three weeks later she developed a twist in her bowel and had another emergency operation.

Mrs Smith said: “We could have lost her at eight weeks. The fete is our way of saying thank you to GOSH for all they have done for my little girl.”

Piper is now being looked after at home but faces further surgery when she is stronger.

The fete is being held on Saturday, April 6, from 9.30am to 4pm. Plans include a bouncy castle, stalls and car boot sale. More information about how to support the appeal will be available soon via a Facebook page Mrs Smith is intending to set up